A critical analysis of the biography of Nick Vujicic with specific reference to linguistic and structural features
Nick Vujicic is travelling the world holding motivational- and inspirational speeches in schools, churches and so on. He was born without limbs, and despite his struggles he has been able to cope with this major disability and has become a cultural icon or inspiration to others. I am going to study his biography which provides information about him told in the third person. It is written in a formal style with a serious tone. This accentuates that the audience is people who are interested in learning more about Nick Vujicic, which we can presume (because of his story) are students, teachers, leaders in Christian churches, people with disabilities or other obstacles in life.
In the introduction of the biography interrogative sentence structures are used. “What would you do? How would that affect your everyday life?” This creates a sense of inclusion and engages the reader as he/she is addressed with the second person pronoun “you”. Interrogatives are also used to make the text more dramatic or to influence the reader more. “How would their son live a normal, happy life? What could he ever do or become when living with what the world would consider such a massive disability?” Rhetorical questions like these are used to provoke a thought process in the reader.
The language used in the biography is emotive, and cohesion can be seen in the lexis used as they are all in the lexical field of motivational speaking or the body, as Vujicic doesn’t have any arms or legs. When looking specifically at grammar the verbs used are associated with positivity (to inspire, to motivate, to realize, to be able to, to accomplish, to overcome), while the nouns are more negative (disability, depression, loneliness, frustration, struggle, problems, failure). In terms of adjectives many of them are superlatives, such as most powerful, biggest, and most effective. They also tend to be attributive (pre-modifying), for example limbless son, happy life, massive disability, amazing ability, and biggest dreams. This enhances the fact that even the biggest obstacles can be surmounted, and it influences the reader more.
Furthermore the text is grammatically cohesive as we can find anaphoric references and conjunctions. The conjunction and is the most important cohesive devise used, and makes the discourse flow more smoothly. Without conjunctions the discourse would seem disjointed. In addition to these grammatical features, modal auxiliary verbs are also used to emphasize the utterances, especially in the interrogative utterances in the introduction where ‘could’ and ‘would’ are used. This suggests the tenor of his message as being enquiring.
The text has a standard structure for a biography or Bildungsroman and the tense change is reflective of his past life and continuing present. It starts with an introduction, where Nick Vujicic is presented, and a direct request to the reader. It continues by telling about Vujicic’s childhood and his struggles and obstacles whilst growing up. This is told in the past tense. Further on the biography relates details, using the present continuous, about his years of studying, and it concludes by telling about his life now and his work, using the present tense and the present continuous. It is structured in this way in order to let us follow Vujicic’s life in a chronological order, which also contributes to make the text cohesive.
English Language Coursework Year 12 - Julie Egeland, 2012
Written text analysis
Viser innlegg med etiketten Utvekslingsåret. Vis alle innlegg
Viser innlegg med etiketten Utvekslingsåret. Vis alle innlegg
13. november 2012
7. november 2012
Why I favour the English school system
The first thing I reacted to when I started school in England, was that the teachers were focused on what we had to learn from day one. They made it clear to us what we had to do in the exam, how the exam would be structured, and how we should work throughout the year to achieve a good grade at the end of the year. I found this really helpful. From day one it was "this is the subject - this is what you have to do in the exam - and you WILL have to do the exam". In Norway teachers aren't that focused, because here our grades are based on more than only our exams. The focus is different, and we might not have to do an exam in that teacher's subject. "If you have to do the exam blah blah blah"...
Secondly I loved how the teachers really wanted us to do well in the subjects (that is, to do well in the exam). They were always willing to offer us extra help if needed, either during lunch time or after school. Whether that is because they care about the students and their future, or because of the exam league table ranking I'm not sure, but I choose to believe it is a mixture. Either way, it is definitely a good thing. Everyone in my Spanish class had individual speaking lessons once a week, as preparation for our oral exam - and it did help a lot. To be completely honest, I don't feel like my teachers in Norway care as much about how I do in the exam. Some might, but certainly not everyone...
Before I continue I have to mention maybe on of the biggest differences between the Norwegian and English school system. In Norway students in year 12 and 13 do 4 mandatory subjects (norwegian, history, religion and P.E) and 3 chosen subjects (like sociology, MFL, chemistry, etc...) - whereas in England year 12 and 13 students only do 3 or 4 chosen subjects.
The timetable is very different as well. In Norway you've got between 5-8 lessons every day. That is, depending on your subjects, you've probably got between 2-4 free periods every week (because you're supposed to have 30 timetabled lessons a week). In England I had (talking about myself now) about 15 timetabled lessons a week, and 15 study periods/free periods. Obviously this implies that you have to do a lot of independent studying - you can't be mucking about because then you will lag behind. This system makes you a lot more what we in Norway call a "student"(person that goes to university) and not an "elev". For me I prefer being a "student", because I then have the opportunity to dispose my time and work as I please and do some extra work where needed. As my situation is now, I haven't got the time nor the work capacity to do any more work than the homework I get. I think I can say that most days I do schoolwork from 8 am to 7 pm (obviously I have breaks and procrastinate a bit..)
Furthermore I think it is admirable how English schools give praise to good achievement and behaviour. They do this for example through awards and positive postcards. For me this is something very encouraging, making me want to work hard and do well, because people notice what I do and how much effort I put into my work. Obviously I can see the negative side of it. Those who don't do that well, and don't get awards, might not be as motivated to work. In Norway schools and teachers should try not to make differences between the pupils because "it's not fair". No student should feel better or worse than the others. Which, to be honest, I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing.
Secondly I loved how the teachers really wanted us to do well in the subjects (that is, to do well in the exam). They were always willing to offer us extra help if needed, either during lunch time or after school. Whether that is because they care about the students and their future, or because of the exam league table ranking I'm not sure, but I choose to believe it is a mixture. Either way, it is definitely a good thing. Everyone in my Spanish class had individual speaking lessons once a week, as preparation for our oral exam - and it did help a lot. To be completely honest, I don't feel like my teachers in Norway care as much about how I do in the exam. Some might, but certainly not everyone...
Before I continue I have to mention maybe on of the biggest differences between the Norwegian and English school system. In Norway students in year 12 and 13 do 4 mandatory subjects (norwegian, history, religion and P.E) and 3 chosen subjects (like sociology, MFL, chemistry, etc...) - whereas in England year 12 and 13 students only do 3 or 4 chosen subjects.
The timetable is very different as well. In Norway you've got between 5-8 lessons every day. That is, depending on your subjects, you've probably got between 2-4 free periods every week (because you're supposed to have 30 timetabled lessons a week). In England I had (talking about myself now) about 15 timetabled lessons a week, and 15 study periods/free periods. Obviously this implies that you have to do a lot of independent studying - you can't be mucking about because then you will lag behind. This system makes you a lot more what we in Norway call a "student"(person that goes to university) and not an "elev". For me I prefer being a "student", because I then have the opportunity to dispose my time and work as I please and do some extra work where needed. As my situation is now, I haven't got the time nor the work capacity to do any more work than the homework I get. I think I can say that most days I do schoolwork from 8 am to 7 pm (obviously I have breaks and procrastinate a bit..)
Furthermore I think it is admirable how English schools give praise to good achievement and behaviour. They do this for example through awards and positive postcards. For me this is something very encouraging, making me want to work hard and do well, because people notice what I do and how much effort I put into my work. Obviously I can see the negative side of it. Those who don't do that well, and don't get awards, might not be as motivated to work. In Norway schools and teachers should try not to make differences between the pupils because "it's not fair". No student should feel better or worse than the others. Which, to be honest, I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing.
26. august 2012
One year later...
Where did time go?
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| 26.08.11: Veldig spente på Gardermoen - vet ikke helt hva vi går til... |
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| Juni 2012: Fornøyde med fullført skoleår på Hastingsbury |
25. august 2012
Exam results
Eksamenskarakterene mine har omsider kommet frem fra skolen min i England. Jeg er veldig fornøyd med resultatene mine, og stolt av å ha oppnådd det jeg har gjort. Skulle ønske jeg hadde fått bedre resultat i Spansk, men jeg har gjort mitt beste, og da får det være nok.
Spanish: C (exam) + D (exam) = D
Sociology: B (exam) + B (exam) = B
English Language: E (exam) + A (coursework) = C
Maths: C (exam)
I England er standpunktkarakterene kun basert på eksamensresultat og ev. coursework - derfor er det utrolig viktig å prestere. Er du syk den dagen du skal ha eksamen, kan jo det ødelegge veldig.
Engelskeksamen var kjempevanskelig (forsåelig.. I'm foreign!), og jeg gjorde det dårlig (but I did pass!) - men så gjorde jeg det bedre enn alle de andre i klassen min på coursework, som utjevnet karakteren min til en C.
I England er standpunktkarakterene kun basert på eksamensresultat og ev. coursework - derfor er det utrolig viktig å prestere. Er du syk den dagen du skal ha eksamen, kan jo det ødelegge veldig.
Engelskeksamen var kjempevanskelig (forsåelig.. I'm foreign!), og jeg gjorde det dårlig (but I did pass!) - men så gjorde jeg det bedre enn alle de andre i klassen min på coursework, som utjevnet karakteren min til en C.
20. juni 2012
Experiences for life
Før jeg dro til England, hadde jeg aldri hatt en normal samtale med en engelsk person.
Jeg likte ikke egentlig å dra alene noe sted.
Det ville ikke falt meg inn å dra på dagstur til en annen by (mest fordi det er så store avstander her i Norge....)
Jeg likte ikke å snakke engelsk med andre (med unntak av engelsktimene på skolen).
Når jeg var i England, opplevde jeg å føle meg som en skikkelig outsider.
Jeg opplevde å føle at jeg ikke klarte å ha en normal samtale.
Jeg gråt meg i søvn (riktignok bare to-tre ganger! takk og lov)
Jeg lærte å takle hjemlengsel og savn - og opplevde å føle at det faktisk kan være godt å savne noen/noe, og også vite at man var savnet.
Jeg lærte meg selv bedre å kjenne, i forhold f.eks. egenskaper og grenser.
Jeg dro til mange forskjellige steder i Storbritannia; London, Cambridge, Oxford, Edinburgh, Wales (Snowdonia), York, Scarborough...
Jeg tok tog flere ganger enn jeg har gjort i hele mitt liv.
Jeg drakk flere kopper te enn jeg drakk glass med vann.
Jeg begynte å gå i kirka hver søndag - rett og slett fordi jeg fikk gode venner og en tilhørighetfølelse der.
Jeg lærte å bruke penger, og føre budsjett og regnskap.
Jeg tok ansvar for meg selv.
Jeg bodde hos en familie, og var som en del av den - så jeg var ikke left on my own!
Nå har jeg blitt mer selvstendig.
Jeg er mer selvsikker. Tror mer på meg selv.
Det kommer helt naturlig å snakke engelsk.
Norsken min blir noen ganger blandet med engelsk, og til tider spansk (særlig om jeg har vært veldig fokusert..)
Jeg savner folk fra 'mitt andre hjemsted'.
Bedford vil nok være 'min andre hjemby' i lang tid fremover.
Minnene og erfaringene jeg har med meg fra England, vil alltid være med meg. Det er ikke noe som bare blekner etter en stund.
Jeg likte ikke egentlig å dra alene noe sted.
Det ville ikke falt meg inn å dra på dagstur til en annen by (mest fordi det er så store avstander her i Norge....)
Jeg likte ikke å snakke engelsk med andre (med unntak av engelsktimene på skolen).
Når jeg var i England, opplevde jeg å føle meg som en skikkelig outsider.
Jeg opplevde å føle at jeg ikke klarte å ha en normal samtale.
Jeg gråt meg i søvn (riktignok bare to-tre ganger! takk og lov)
Jeg lærte å takle hjemlengsel og savn - og opplevde å føle at det faktisk kan være godt å savne noen/noe, og også vite at man var savnet.
Jeg lærte meg selv bedre å kjenne, i forhold f.eks. egenskaper og grenser.
Jeg dro til mange forskjellige steder i Storbritannia; London, Cambridge, Oxford, Edinburgh, Wales (Snowdonia), York, Scarborough...
Jeg tok tog flere ganger enn jeg har gjort i hele mitt liv.
Jeg drakk flere kopper te enn jeg drakk glass med vann.
Jeg begynte å gå i kirka hver søndag - rett og slett fordi jeg fikk gode venner og en tilhørighetfølelse der.
Jeg lærte å bruke penger, og føre budsjett og regnskap.
Jeg tok ansvar for meg selv.
Jeg bodde hos en familie, og var som en del av den - så jeg var ikke left on my own!
Nå har jeg blitt mer selvstendig.
Jeg er mer selvsikker. Tror mer på meg selv.
Det kommer helt naturlig å snakke engelsk.
Norsken min blir noen ganger blandet med engelsk, og til tider spansk (særlig om jeg har vært veldig fokusert..)
Jeg savner folk fra 'mitt andre hjemsted'.
Bedford vil nok være 'min andre hjemby' i lang tid fremover.
Minnene og erfaringene jeg har med meg fra England, vil alltid være med meg. Det er ikke noe som bare blekner etter en stund.
17. juni 2012
My homecoming
16.juni 2012 - dagen da utvekslingsåret mitt var over etter 10 måneder. Reisen begynte kl 5 a.m. Det var tungt å si ha det til familien, spesielt til lillesøster som gråt og gråt da jeg dro. Jeg ble med til Gatwick og sa ha det til de andre utvekslingsstudentene, før Nikki kjørte meg til Heathrow hvor jeg møtte mine reisebuddies; Ida, Maggie, Marte, Jon og Nabila. Da vi kom til Gardermoen, fikk vi vite at flyet vårt videre var en time forsinket. Utrolig kjipt! Vi var sultne, men prissjokket gjorde at vi ikke spiste så mye... 80 kroner for en salat!! Velkommen til Norge... Flyet kom avsted så fort som mulig. Til Kjevik tok vi forresten samme fly som Thom Hell og Nils Vogt, hehe.
På Kjevik sto hele familien, venninnene mine og flere til med norske flagg, blomster og Velkommen Hjem-plakater. Jeg ble helt overveldet. Tårene rant, vi klemte, og jeg måtte sette meg ned. Fantastisk å se alle sammen igjen. Vi kjørte hjem, og 'feiret' videre med god mat og mye snakking. Takk til alle dere som kom og møtte meg, det betydde kjempemye for meg! :)
De neste dagene har jeg mye rydding og utpakking foran meg.
På Kjevik sto hele familien, venninnene mine og flere til med norske flagg, blomster og Velkommen Hjem-plakater. Jeg ble helt overveldet. Tårene rant, vi klemte, og jeg måtte sette meg ned. Fantastisk å se alle sammen igjen. Vi kjørte hjem, og 'feiret' videre med god mat og mye snakking. Takk til alle dere som kom og møtte meg, det betydde kjempemye for meg! :)
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| Alle hadde norske flagg - bare Håkon hadde tenkt på at jeg har blitt så veldig glad i England, og hadde med seg hjemmelaget Englandsflagg og Union Jack. |
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| Karoline hadde bakt kake!! |
16. juni 2012
Leaving
Feels like I'm going to Norway for the summer, and then going back to England.
Very strange feeling.
Bedford-Heathrow 5 a.m.
Heathrow-Gardermoen 1 p.m.
Gardermoen-Kjevik 6.30 p.m.
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| @missegeland on Instagram |
See you later.
Goodbye party at -SPACE-
Familie - nå har dere noe å lese mens dere rastløst venter på meg, hehe.
I går var en lang dag. Jeg følte ikke at jeg skulle dra tilbake i dag - føltes heller som om jeg skulle på en rather long summerholiday for så å komme tilbake i august... Jeg gjorde ferdig all pakkinga på morgenen, bare slappet av resten av dagen. Helt til jeg skulle på Space, ungdomsgruppa i kirka, for siste gang.
Jeg visste at de visste det var min siste gang - men jeg hadde ikke forventet alt det de hadde gjort! Bakt kaker, hengt opp norsk og engelsk flagg, pyntet med banner og stort bilde av oss, kjøpt pizza, brus, crisps etc.
Og så hadde de laget T-skjorter. Det var det vittigste! Veldig intern humor.. :-) Vertsfamilien min visste om det, og var med inn på begynnelsen. Georgia gjorde en god jobb med å holde det hemmelig. Helt til vi svingte inn på parkeringsplassen, og vi så guttene løpe inn i hallen. "Do you know why they're running?" sa hun med et stort smil. Bless her :)
Og så hadde de laget minnebok til meg! Alle hadde skrevet litt i den - og det er bare så koselig! Setter så utrolig stor pris på bare det at de har tatt seg bryet og gjøre det, men også alt de har skrevet.
Vi spilte frisbee (bare litt, for det var veldig mye vind), lekte en ny lek (som var utrolig morsom! sånn med å flytte et bein og ikke falle - don't you just love my blog explanations?), hørte på musikk og snakket. Jeg kommer til å savne denne gruppa så vanvittig mye! Håper vi kan klare å holde kontakten, og at vi får til at de kommer til Norge. Jeg skal i hvert fall tilbake å besøke dem!
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| Beste gjengen! |
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| I'll miss you too! Thanks Rebecca! |
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| Thank you, Hannah! |
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| Aaaaw!! Skjønner dere internhumoren vår? haha |
13. juni 2012
Retro shock - bring it on!
Jeg leste en artikkel kalt "The process of reentry" av Gary Weaver, som kort sagt handlet om å komme tilbake til sin egen kultur etter å ha bodd utenlands, og jeg tenkte at det var noe jeg burde dele på bloggen. Da jeg kom til England, ble jeg fortalt om hvordan jeg kom til å oppleve et kultursjokk. Jeg ble aldri truffet av et stort sjokk slik jeg så for meg da jeg hørte ordet, men symptomene kom litt etter litt. Dette har jeg sikkert skrevet om før...
Nå som vi skal hjem igjen, har vi blitt fortalt om noe kalt "Retro Shock" / "Reverse Culture Shock" / "Reentry Transition Stress". Dette kultursjokket skal visstnok være alvorligere og mer langvarig enn det vi opplevde da vi kom til (i mitt tilfelle) England. I tillegg, om man har tilpasset seg godt og vært suksessfulle utenlands, vil man oppleve større vanskeligheter med å komme tilbake.
Avslutningsvis; Retro shock - bring it on!
3 dager til hjemreise...
Nå som vi skal hjem igjen, har vi blitt fortalt om noe kalt "Retro Shock" / "Reverse Culture Shock" / "Reentry Transition Stress". Dette kultursjokket skal visstnok være alvorligere og mer langvarig enn det vi opplevde da vi kom til (i mitt tilfelle) England. I tillegg, om man har tilpasset seg godt og vært suksessfulle utenlands, vil man oppleve større vanskeligheter med å komme tilbake.
Most sojoumers worry before they leave home. They know they will miss family andJeg kjenner meg veldig igjen i dette. Jeg var både spent og nervøs da jeg dro hjemmefra - men jeg er ikke det når jeg nå skal reise hjem igjen. Jesse spurte meg; tror du det blir vanskelig å komme tilbake til Norge og passe inn liksom? Så lo vi, og ble enige om at; det skal nok gå fint, jeg passer nok inn - jeg har jo ikke akkurat glemt hvordan jeg snakker norsk! Men hvem vet, kanskje jeg har tatt for lett på det? Likevel, nå som jeg er forberedt på det kommende kultursjokket, blir det nok ikke så stort.
friends, and they are anxious about adjusting to new food, a different language, public
transportation, and so forth; but few sojourners worry about returning home.
In an overseas culture, host nationals expect newcomers to make mistakes and beKort sagt; vær tålmodige med meg mens jeg venner meg til den norske kulturen igjen. Jeg har ikke glemt den - men jeg har "nettopp" vent meg til den engelske kulturen. Da jeg dro hjemmefra, trodde jeg ikke den var så annerledes, men der tok jeg feil.
different. Most intuitively understand that the sojourners will experience stress adapting
to the new physical and social environmental and will long for friends and family back
home. At home, everyone expects the returnee to fit in quickly. They are much less tolerant of mistakes and have little empathy for the difficulties of reverse culture shock - it is not expected or accepted.
Sojourners want to share their overseas experiences with family and friends, yet this is avery difficult and painful task. After a few days of listening to anecdotes, viewingphotos, and receiving gifts, most quickly loose interest. Very often the most meaningsfulexperiences really cannot be communicated. These messages have little meaning to thosewho have never actually lived overseas. It is somewhat like trying to share fully thewonder of a sunset with a blind person.Dette punktet er jeg mest bekymret for. Jeg vil ikke drukne dere i historier fra England. Jeg ønsker ikke å kjede dere. Men jeg vet at jeg kommer til å ha behov for å fortelle hva jeg har opplevd og dele mine erfaringer...
Avslutningsvis; Retro shock - bring it on!
3 dager til hjemreise...
11. juni 2012
A trip to Heartbeat country
Fra torsdag til søndag var jeg med familien min til York. Jeg hadde et ønske om å dra til Aidensfield, den fiktive landsbyen fra TV-serien 'Heartbeat', så på fredag dro vi på dagstur dit. Vi tok damptog fra Pickering til Goathland. Stasjonen i Goathland er også brukt som Hogsmeade Station (dit de kommer etter å ha løpt gjennom veggen på King's Cross) i Harry Potter. Goathland aka Aidensfield var kjempefint. Et veldig rolig og idyllisk sted. Selvfølgelig hadde det vært enda vakrere om sola hadde skint... Bildene nedenfor viser hva vi så i Aidensfield:
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| The steam train called 'Cock O' the North' arriving Pickering |
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| Bernie Scripp's garage |
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| Butikkene |
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| "Heartbeat, why do you miss when my baby kisses me..." |
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| Aidensfield police car |
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| Beautiful, init? |
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| Aidensfield Arms - Oscar Blaketon's Pub (aka The Goathland Hotel) |
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| Ser for meg de gamle politibilene kjøre i full fart her, haha... |
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| Goathland Station aka Hogsmeade Station in Harry Potter |
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| The train - på vei tilbake satt vi i en egen kupé (?) sånn som i Harry Potter. Morsomt. |
5 dager igjen til jeg er tilbake i Norge... Merkelig.
9. juni 2012
The year is over...
Hey all.
I wanted to write a blogpost about my exchange year in England in English. That way everyone who (in some way) has been a part of it can read and understand it.
I applied to have an exchange year because I wanted to experience something different. Something extraordinary. I wanted to learn to speak English fluently. Become more independent. Grow as a person. Get to know another country, and another culture - from the inside. And now I've done that. I've also gotten to know myself better. And Norway and the norwegian culture. Consequently I can conclude that I have reached my goals - and fulfilled my big dream of living in England!
To start off I want to explain what it is like being an exchange student. To put it briefly: you become very sensitive. One minute you can be on top of the world because someone smiled at you. The next minute your world is tumbling because someone walked past you without saying 'hello' simply because they didn't see you. It can be difficult. However, when you learn to look beyond the negative moments, you can take pleasure in all the simple joys life has to offer. The joys you took for granted at home.
Another thing is that you remember things you normally wouldn't remember. I can remember my first day of school as if it was yesterday. I can remember who talked to me, who showed me around, and who said 'you can come with me if you'd like' when I felt (and probably looked) lost. I can remember things people have said to me during the year, and how they said it. In October I'd been in England for 2 months and had 8 months left. It felt like ages! Then I went to an event, and someone said to me; "next year when we're doing this, you won't be here...you should come back!". That was the first time I felt like 8 months was really nothing! It's strange to remember simple things like that, but it's good, and I don't ever want to forget anything that has happened this year. Good thing I've written this blog and kept a diary!
While in England, I've been living with a wonderful host family. They have made me feel at home, and included me as a part of their family. I have been so lucky and blessed! I have celebrated Christmas with them, we've had family dinners, they have met my parents, sisters and grandparents when they came to visit, and they have taken me to Scarborough, London, Birmingham, and several times to York. I can't express how much their hospitality has meant to me. I will definitely stay in touch, and come back to visit. Hopefully they'll come and visit me in Norway as well.
School is a chapter for itself. The norwegian and the english system are so different from each other. Neither of them are perfect - but if you mix them together I'm sure you would get a really good school system. In short the key differences are; rewards/sanctions, timetables, exams, safety, expectations, uniform, etc.. But that's not what I want to focus on. Everyone knows what it's like being new at a school. However, not that many knows what it's like being new at a school, all alone, in another country, having to speak another language. To be honest, I can be quite frightening. I had moments where I felt like I couldn't have a normal conversation, and I didn't feel like myself. Symptoms of culture shock... The first couple of days (for me) at school were kind of complicated. I didn't have a timetable because the school didn't know I was supposed to arrive that day (how odd), so I had a lot of free lessons. I didn't know anyone and I didn't have any work to do - so I was basically just sitting there. That was until I saw other people having free lessons. From that time onwards I was sitting with them, talking and playing cards - using my free lessons to get to know people. So that was good!
Moving on... As most of you probably know, I'm a leader in a childrens' choir in church at home, Rabakoret. I really enjoy this, and have missed it incredibly much this year. For this reason it has been extremely good to be part of a church here in England. I went from quite a big church to a small one. From Church of Norway to Church of England - Søm kirke to St. John's. And they actually are a bit different - but I like them both! St. John's is such a warm and loving church, where I've felt so welcome. I was also lucky enough to be a part of the best youth group, Space. I feel like I belong here, and I don't want to leave... The Sundays/Fridays (actually, the whole year..) simply wouldn't have been the same without everyone there. Thank you for being exactly who you are: Jess, Hannah, Rebecca, Andy, Benji, Joel, and David. Hope to see you in Norway in the future.
People ask me; "what's your best memory from England?", and want me to point out one thing in particular. But the truth is that the whole year has been so amazing. No matter how much I want to share my experiences with people at home, they will never be able to understand the extent of my experiences in England. And that's something that I think is sad. They will never understand the importance of it, and the influence this year will have on how I live my life onwards. Maybe to some extent, but not completely.
I have been thinking about how many decisions have led me to where I am now. And not only my decisions, but other people's choices as well. All our choices have made our roads cross, which I think is amazing! I've met so many wonderful, friendly, amazing persons and experienced incredibly much. I could have had a completely different experience of England if for example I had been placed somewhere else than Bedford. I've been so lucky, and I am so grateful!
Now, I guess what's left to tell myself is: don't cry because it's over - smile because it happened! Thank you, everyone who contributed to making this year so very memorable.
Julie xx
Wow, that itch to write resulted in a blogpost that was a lot longer than I had planned.
I wanted to write a blogpost about my exchange year in England in English. That way everyone who (in some way) has been a part of it can read and understand it.
I applied to have an exchange year because I wanted to experience something different. Something extraordinary. I wanted to learn to speak English fluently. Become more independent. Grow as a person. Get to know another country, and another culture - from the inside. And now I've done that. I've also gotten to know myself better. And Norway and the norwegian culture. Consequently I can conclude that I have reached my goals - and fulfilled my big dream of living in England!
To start off I want to explain what it is like being an exchange student. To put it briefly: you become very sensitive. One minute you can be on top of the world because someone smiled at you. The next minute your world is tumbling because someone walked past you without saying 'hello' simply because they didn't see you. It can be difficult. However, when you learn to look beyond the negative moments, you can take pleasure in all the simple joys life has to offer. The joys you took for granted at home.
Another thing is that you remember things you normally wouldn't remember. I can remember my first day of school as if it was yesterday. I can remember who talked to me, who showed me around, and who said 'you can come with me if you'd like' when I felt (and probably looked) lost. I can remember things people have said to me during the year, and how they said it. In October I'd been in England for 2 months and had 8 months left. It felt like ages! Then I went to an event, and someone said to me; "next year when we're doing this, you won't be here...you should come back!". That was the first time I felt like 8 months was really nothing! It's strange to remember simple things like that, but it's good, and I don't ever want to forget anything that has happened this year. Good thing I've written this blog and kept a diary!
While in England, I've been living with a wonderful host family. They have made me feel at home, and included me as a part of their family. I have been so lucky and blessed! I have celebrated Christmas with them, we've had family dinners, they have met my parents, sisters and grandparents when they came to visit, and they have taken me to Scarborough, London, Birmingham, and several times to York. I can't express how much their hospitality has meant to me. I will definitely stay in touch, and come back to visit. Hopefully they'll come and visit me in Norway as well.
School is a chapter for itself. The norwegian and the english system are so different from each other. Neither of them are perfect - but if you mix them together I'm sure you would get a really good school system. In short the key differences are; rewards/sanctions, timetables, exams, safety, expectations, uniform, etc.. But that's not what I want to focus on. Everyone knows what it's like being new at a school. However, not that many knows what it's like being new at a school, all alone, in another country, having to speak another language. To be honest, I can be quite frightening. I had moments where I felt like I couldn't have a normal conversation, and I didn't feel like myself. Symptoms of culture shock... The first couple of days (for me) at school were kind of complicated. I didn't have a timetable because the school didn't know I was supposed to arrive that day (how odd), so I had a lot of free lessons. I didn't know anyone and I didn't have any work to do - so I was basically just sitting there. That was until I saw other people having free lessons. From that time onwards I was sitting with them, talking and playing cards - using my free lessons to get to know people. So that was good!
Moving on... As most of you probably know, I'm a leader in a childrens' choir in church at home, Rabakoret. I really enjoy this, and have missed it incredibly much this year. For this reason it has been extremely good to be part of a church here in England. I went from quite a big church to a small one. From Church of Norway to Church of England - Søm kirke to St. John's. And they actually are a bit different - but I like them both! St. John's is such a warm and loving church, where I've felt so welcome. I was also lucky enough to be a part of the best youth group, Space. I feel like I belong here, and I don't want to leave... The Sundays/Fridays (actually, the whole year..) simply wouldn't have been the same without everyone there. Thank you for being exactly who you are: Jess, Hannah, Rebecca, Andy, Benji, Joel, and David. Hope to see you in Norway in the future.
People ask me; "what's your best memory from England?", and want me to point out one thing in particular. But the truth is that the whole year has been so amazing. No matter how much I want to share my experiences with people at home, they will never be able to understand the extent of my experiences in England. And that's something that I think is sad. They will never understand the importance of it, and the influence this year will have on how I live my life onwards. Maybe to some extent, but not completely.
I have been thinking about how many decisions have led me to where I am now. And not only my decisions, but other people's choices as well. All our choices have made our roads cross, which I think is amazing! I've met so many wonderful, friendly, amazing persons and experienced incredibly much. I could have had a completely different experience of England if for example I had been placed somewhere else than Bedford. I've been so lucky, and I am so grateful!
Now, I guess what's left to tell myself is: don't cry because it's over - smile because it happened! Thank you, everyone who contributed to making this year so very memorable.
Julie xx
Wow, that itch to write resulted in a blogpost that was a lot longer than I had planned.
5. juni 2012
Brighton
I dag har jeg vært på dagstur til Brighton med denne fine gjengen. Veldig bra tur, om man ser bort ifra det typisk Britiske været.
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| The Royal Pavillion |
3. juni 2012
Siste søndag i Bedford
I dag var min siste søndag i Bedford, siden vi drar til York neste helg. Meaning: Min siste gudstjeneste i St. John's. Kjempetrist... Jeg klarte meg fint, helt til siste sangen var over og vi skulle gå ut. Da klarte jeg ikke holde tilbake tårene lenger. Tanken på hvor utrolig heldig jeg er som har fått være en del av den kirka, og hvor mange fantastisk hyggelige mennesker jeg har snakket med og blitt kjent med. Etter noen trøstende ord, klemmer, og litt fotografering (måtte ha noen bilder av kirka), gikk vi inn i hallen for å drikke te - for te fikser alt! Hehe :-) Sto lenge og snakket med Jess, Hannah, Rebecca, Andy og Benji. To uker til neste gang jeg ser dem - og det er også siste gang før jeg reiser hjem... :-(
En av sangene vi sang i dag:
2. juni 2012
Besteforeldrebesøk
Forrige fredag kom mine 4 spreke besteforeldre på besøk til meg. De kom ganske sent (på grunn av en taxi som ikke kom for å hente dem), så vi rakk bare å catche up litt over middag før jeg dro hjem. Lørdag dro vi til Cambridge. Været var fantastisk, og Cambridges gater og parker var fulle av folk. På kvelden dro vi tilbake til Bedford, og hjem til meg hvor de fikk møte vertsfamilien min. Det var kjempekoselig! Vi snakket masse, og så fotballkamp og Eurovision (hvor Norge tapte begge deler..). Søndag var vi i kirka. Jeg hadde gledet meg til å ta dem med dit, fordi St. John's har vært en viktig del av året mitt her. Ekstra gøy var det da vi kom og fikk vite at det skulle være to barnedåper den dagen! Så fikk vi oppleve det også :-) Etter kirka gikk vi til Alex's foreldre. En herlig dag med god mat, croquet, og hyggelig selskap!
Mandag til onsdag dro vi til London. Tour bus rundt om i byen på mandag, shopping og litt mer sightseeing på tirsdag, og shopping på onsdag før hjemreisen startet i 13-tida. Det var en kort oppsummering av 5 flotte dager. Avskjeden var ikke så trist, for jeg skal jo hjem om 2 små uker.
Tirsdag kveld var vi på Her Majesty's Teathre og så The Phantom of the Opera. Storslagent! Helt fantastisk musikal; skuespillerne/sangerne, musikken og kulissene.
Mandag til onsdag dro vi til London. Tour bus rundt om i byen på mandag, shopping og litt mer sightseeing på tirsdag, og shopping på onsdag før hjemreisen startet i 13-tida. Det var en kort oppsummering av 5 flotte dager. Avskjeden var ikke så trist, for jeg skal jo hjem om 2 små uker.
Tirsdag kveld var vi på Her Majesty's Teathre og så The Phantom of the Opera. Storslagent! Helt fantastisk musikal; skuespillerne/sangerne, musikken og kulissene.
23. mai 2012
Rotur i vikingbåter
I dag møtte vi jentene fra skolen på Nando's for å ha et 'Farewell meal', noe som var veldig koselig. Det er rart å tenke på at når jeg drar herfra, vet jeg ikke når jeg treffer dem igjen, eller om jeg i det hele tatt gjør det noen gang... Forhåpentligvis gjør jeg det :-)
Etter et hyggelig måltid, foreslo noen at vi kunne gå til elva for å ro i båt. Da vi kom dit så vi disse båtene:
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| Yay - vikingbåter!! |
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| Helena, Helene & Mandy |
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| Hannah, Emily, Naomi, Bea (& Lauren) |
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| Me & Mandy |
Vi rodde rundt på det lille vannet, med masse sjøgress, i en halvtimes tid. Veldig gøy. Dumt vi har solgt båten, pappa, for nå merket jeg hvor mye jeg savner å gå på båttur...
Bare for å nevne det: været er helt... it's baking hot! Men nå må jeg tilbake til revision - har ikke øvd noe til sosiologien i dag... To dager igjen - til eksamen, og til besteforeldrene mine kommer! :-)
18. mai 2012
17. mai feiring i Southwark Park, London
Etter en times sosiologieksamen, tok meg og Helene toget til London. I Southwark Park møtte vi Marte, Daniela, Stine, Maggie og Helene - og flere hundre andre nordmenn. Det første vi gjorde var å gå i 17. mai tog - korpset spilte, vi så norske flagg, og hørte mange norske stemmer. Taler og underholdning var det også. Elever ved den norske skolen sang og leste dikt, og en liten engelsk nordmann på 7-8 år holdt tale, og sa bl.a. at vi hadde mye å være stolte av siden Norge er et så flott land. Et korps hadde minikonsert, o g spilte bl.a. Valdres marsj (da følte Marte seg hjemme), Flåklypa-medley, og Kveldssong for deg og meg av Odd Nordstoga (da tenkte jeg på deg, bestemor). Og selvfølgelig sang vi nasjonalsangen! Kjempegod stemning! Vi var heldige med været også, selv om det var litt kaldt now and then.
I parken solgte de også norsk mat; pølser med brød/lompe, solo, seigmenn, nonstop, melkesjokolade, lakrisbåter... Billig var det ikke, men hjelpe meg så godt det var :-) Litt senere dro vi til Covent Garden og spiste på Pizza Hut (veldig norsk, haha...). Alt i alt en kjempekoselig dag med herlige jenter.
11. mai 2012
Siste skoledag på Hastingsbury
I dag var min siste skoledag på Hastingsbury. Det har egentlig ikke helt gått opp for meg enda - både fordi dette året har gått utrolig fort, og fordi jeg fortsatt har tre eksamener igjen..
Dagen i dag var i hvert fall en veldig fin avslutning på skoleåret! Til lunsj kom jeg og Helene inn i sixth form rommet og alle hadde gjemt seg, og hoppet frem og sa "Surprise!". De hadde stelt i stand med mat og pyntet med små bannere på veggen. Utrolig koselig! De hadde også noen gaver til oss. Av Ms Young og Ms Hughes fikk vi en liten gavepose med Bedford-ting og en Bedford-guide. Av jentene fikk vi tekopp, godteri, og en bok hvor de hadde limt inn bilder, og med hilsener fra mange på trinnet. Kjempesnilt! Den boka skal jeg ta godt vare på! Much appreciated!
Dagen i dag var i hvert fall en veldig fin avslutning på skoleåret! Til lunsj kom jeg og Helene inn i sixth form rommet og alle hadde gjemt seg, og hoppet frem og sa "Surprise!". De hadde stelt i stand med mat og pyntet med små bannere på veggen. Utrolig koselig! De hadde også noen gaver til oss. Av Ms Young og Ms Hughes fikk vi en liten gavepose med Bedford-ting og en Bedford-guide. Av jentene fikk vi tekopp, godteri, og en bok hvor de hadde limt inn bilder, og med hilsener fra mange på trinnet. Kjempesnilt! Den boka skal jeg ta godt vare på! Much appreciated!
10. mai 2012
Bilder av skolen
Jeg har aldri lagt ut bilder av skolen på bloggen, så jeg tenkte det var på tide å vise dere hvor jeg har studert de siste 9 månedene. Ikke at skolen er så veldig mye å skryte av utseendemessig - men det kan jo være gøy å se uansett.
I morgen er siste "offisielle" skoledag. Fra da av har vi study leave, og kommer bare på skolen når vi har eksamener. Elevene her begynner på summer term den 11. juni. Da begynner de sine A2 courses, før de får sommerferie 23. juli. Siden jeg har min siste eksamen 25. mai får jeg lang sommerferie i år! Skal ikke klage... :-)
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| Hastingsbury Business and Enterprise College |
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| 6th form room #1 |
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| 6th form room #2 |
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| Dance studio |
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| Drama hall |
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| To stk fornøyde utvekslingsstudenter som er stolte over å ha fullført et skoleår i England. Krevende til tider, men absolutt verdt det! |
Haircut + theatre
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| 08.05.12 |
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| # Photo: Helene |
I går kveld var jeg, Helene, Helene, Isabel og Liz på teater og så The Pilgrim's Progress av John Bunyan (1628-1688) fra Bedford. Veldig bra skuespill - både måten det ble gjort på, og selve historien.
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